Here's a Tip on Handling Criticism

[eldragon]

I would like to take your advice, but in the situation where I do not respect the person criticizing me, wouldn't it seem like I was sucking up?

Wouldn't they assume I was brown-nosing?

[alkaleidi]

Tip: When a superior is offering "constructive criticism" the best thing to do is listen intently and when he or she is finished start off by saying:

Thank you for caring enough to share your constructive feedback with me.

Amen to that. My nurse educator recently gave me another view of feedback that I thought was really valuable as well.

In a nutshell, she basically said that when you are learning, whether in school or orientating on a new unit, feedback you get your first few months is NOT "constructive criticism," it's education. She said, "I'm not criticizing you, I'm teaching you. Please don't ever feel that anyone who corrects you or shows you the right way is critiquing -- they are aware that you're still learning, and they're just trying to teach you the correct way. Maybe after 6 months if I tell you that you're doing something wrong and tell you the right way that would be considered "constructive criticism" but not right now."

That comforted me, even though I generally take all 'constructive criticism' as 'learning experience' but it was nice to be reassured that they don't expect you to know everything just because you hold the title of "RN."

:)